Quiltingboard Forums

Quiltingboard Forums (https://www.quiltingboard.com/)
-   Main (https://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1/)
-   -   Sewing in one direction causes bows? (https://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1/sewing-one-direction-causes-bows-t119636.html)

froggy 04-30-2011 11:44 PM

i just slip a pin horizontally at the end. just in case i can't remember or have to quit

Gerbie 05-01-2011 10:42 AM


Originally Posted by PatriceJ
i do three things when strip-piecing for tube-quilting and similar methods.

1. i prewash the fabs (just a personal preference.)
2. i starch the heck out of the fabs.
3. i do not cut my strips across the width of fabric. i cut them "up", starting half an inch in from the selvadges.

by changing to the non-traditional direction when i cut the strips, i'm left with strips that don't stretch along the seam line. no fabric rainbows ... even if i don't remember to alternate the beginning between tops and bottoms.

the bonus: when i cut up the strips and start using them together, i do have that little bit of stretch between seams. it comes in very handy when patches are slightly off-size and i need to ease them to fit. :-)

Patrice what do you mean you cut yours up? When I do mine I fold the fab. selvages together and cut from the selvages to the fold. Is that what you are doing as well? Just wanted to know. Gerbie

STICHNRN 05-01-2011 12:55 PM

if your machine is right there won't be any bowing. the problem comes when the two layers fo fabric don't feed evenly. i think it is john flynn who has something about it.

patricej 05-01-2011 01:09 PM

2 Attachment(s)

Originally Posted by Gerbie
Patrice what do you mean you cut yours up? When I do mine I fold the fab. selvages together and cut from the selvages to the fold. Is that what you are doing as well? Just wanted to know. Gerbie

instead of cutting across the fabric, from selvage to fold/selvage, i cut them lenghtwise.

i make my first cut using my left hand to trim away the selvage (or to square it off if the selvage is already gone.) i watch the line going across the ruler at the bottom fold in order to make it straight.

when cutting my strips, i check to make sure it's lined up both up and down the ruler and across the ruler line at the bottom.

trim away excess to the left.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]191659[/ATTACH]

then, measure and cut along right edge of ruler.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]191660[/ATTACH]

ghostrider 05-01-2011 01:14 PM

oops, too late...never mind

travelingquilter 05-01-2011 04:18 PM

leave a long tread from your sewing when you quit...so you will know which direction you ended with.

New knee 05-01-2011 06:33 PM

When you press long strips sewn together, leave them on the ironing board till they are cool. If you pick them up while hot, they will tend to become "wavy."

Annya 05-02-2011 01:11 AM


Originally Posted by Lisa_wanna_b_quilter
Sew two strips of fabric together. Sew the third strip on starting from the end you just finished with.

It is said that sewing multiple strips in one direction will bow the fabric.

I wish I had know this when I was doing my Teddy Bear Picnic wall quilt. It had bowed badly. Now I have to unpick the rows and stitch them all over again the right way.

justlooking 05-02-2011 02:42 AM

Learn something new everyday.

mammab 05-02-2011 08:51 AM

Have you ever had your top fabric slide ever so slightly when sewing a long seam? I think the bowing is because the top foot tends to push/stretch the grain of the top fabric a little and so it causes a bow after many repetitions.


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 12:40 AM.